Tanning beds, teens are bad mix

Tuesday

May 31, 2011 at 12:01 AMMay 31, 2011 at 7:09 AM

Did you know that May is Melanoma Awareness Month? I didn't, but now I know. My 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with the disease. I have learned many facts from our dermatologist, our oncologist and the Ohio State Medical Association.

Did you know that May is Melanoma Awareness Month? I didn’t, but now I know. My 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with the disease. I have learned many facts from our dermatologist, our oncologist and the Ohio State Medical Association.

• Melanoma is a malignant skin cancer and is curable when detected early, but can be fatal if allowed to spread. Approximately 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer.

• Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women between the ages of 25 and 30, and indoor tanning-bed radiation has played a big role in this increase. The incidence is rapidly rising in young women and teenagers.

• In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared tanning devices carcinogenic to humans. This means “causes cancer” and is the same category as tobacco and arsenic.

• Those who use a tanning bed before the age of 35 have a 75 percent increase in their risk of developing melanoma. Tanning beds suppress the immune system, thus reducing the ability to fight diseases such as cancer and illnesses such as pneumonia.

• Anyone can get melanoma, but the risk is greater for those with a fair complexion, a history of sunburns, who have irregular moles, a family history of melanoma or an immune disorder.

A bill in the Health Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives would require those younger than 18 to secure a doctor’s permission to be able to use a tanning bed.

We don’t allow teenagers to buy cigarettes. Why? Because they cause cancer. The radiation of indoor tanning also causes cancer, so why don’t we protect our children from this?

Please check your body for irregular-shaped moles and see a doctor if you see any changes or new spots.

Early detection and surgery saved my daughter. She went to prom. She graduated from high school. She again has a future.